Rotary blower.



PATENTED NOV. 26, 1907.

H- WALTHER.

ROTARY BLOWER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1907.

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PATENTED NOV. 26, 1907. H. WALTHER. ROTARY BLOWER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1907.

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5] vwcwfoz HERMAN WALTHER, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

ROTARY BLOWER.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1907.3

Application filed March 27, 1907. Serial No. 364.820.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN WAL'rnnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Blowers, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in rotary air blowers, and moreparticularly to those air blowers designed for use with gas machines.

The object of the present invention is the provision of a blower of thistype in which means are provided for preventing the air in the highpressure chamber from working back into the low pressure chamber.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means formaintaining a constant pressure in the high pressure chamber.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the detaileddescriptionhereinafter when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming a part hereof, wherein a preferable embodiment of myinvention is shown, and wherein like numerals of reference refer tosimilar parts in the several views.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my improvedblower. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in thedirection of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 33 samefigure, and Fig. 4. is a perspective view of the inner cylinder and thespiral partitions with extensions.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, A designates acylindrical casing, mounted on suitable supports, the interior of whichconstitutes the high-pressure chamber of the blower. The casing A isprovided with a suitable outlet pipe A in the top thereof permitting theair under pressure to be conveyed to the desired point. Journaled. insuitable bearings secured to the ends of the casing A and extendinglongitudinally therethroi'lgh is a shaft B upon which is mounted a drumC, which upon rotation serves to compress air in the high-pressurechamber. The drum C comprises an outer cylinder 0, the forward end. ofwhich is closed by a suitable wall, and an .inner cylinder which issubstantially half the diameter of the outer cylinder 0 and which isconcentrically disposed with reference thereto. The inner cylinder cterminates short of the forward end of the outer cylinder 0 to form aspace D in the forward end of the outer cylinder which constitutes thelow-pressure chamber of the blower. The forward end of the innercylinder 0 of the drum is closed by a cylinder head C, which is providedwith an opening centrally thereof to permit water to pass therethrough.A second cylinder head C is secured to the shaft B directly in rear ofthe cylinder head C, the periphery of said cylinder head extending tothe interior of the inner wall of the inner drum 0 and being providedwith a plurality of open ings therein to permit the passage of air andwater therethrough. The rear end of the inner cylinder 0 isclosed by acylinder head C, the periphery of which is provided with a plurality ofopenings therein to permit the passage of air and water therethrough.

Interpo'sed between the inner wall of the cylinder 0 and the outer wallof the cylinder 0 are a plurality of spirally arranged parti tions E,which extend longitudinally of the cylinders and serve to-divide thespace therebetween into a number of chambers which run spirally aroundthe cylinder 0 and constitute the pumping chambers of the device. Thepartitions E are provided at the ends thereof with the extensions (1extending at an obtuse angle therefrom, the extensions extending inopposite directions from the opposite ends of said partitions, those atthe inlet end of the cylinder being extended in the direction in whichthe machine is to be rotated,

'while those at the outlet end are extended in a direction contrary tothat in which the ma chine is to be rotated. The extensions 0 of thepartitions E are of considerable length so that they each overlap theextension on the next adjacent partition for about two-thirds its lengthfor a purpose to be hereinafter more particularly set forth. The forwardedge of each of the extensions 0 of the partitions E at the inlet end ofthe machine are provided with Ushaped open-ended tubes, said extensionsbeing straddled. by said tubes so that one of the arms thereof willcommunicate with one of the pumping chambers of the device, while theother arm thereof will be in communication with the low-pressure chamberl), for a purpose to be hereinafter more particularly set forth. Theextensions 0 of the partitions E at the outlet end of the machine areprovided with a plurality of apertures 6 extending for a slight distanceinwardly from the rear ends thereof.

B, which constitutes a means for partially filling the casing A withwater. The funnel F also serves as a water seal to prevent the escape ofthe air under pressure from the interior of the casing A.

In the operation of the device, the casing A is first filled, with waterto a point just above the shaft B. If now the shaft B is actuated toeffect the rotation of the drum 0, it will be obvious that the partitionextensions 6 at the inlet end of the machine will be caused to passsuccessively beneath the surface of the water in the casing E and thatair will be compressed successively in the chambers formed by the spiralpartitions E, and, as the rear end of each chamber rises out of thewater at the outlet end of the machine, the compressed air therein willbegin to escape first from the holes 2 in the extensions 6 at the outletend of the machine, and finally directly from under the edge of eachextension as it is lifted from the water, the compressed air beingstored in the casing A for blowing purposes.

In machines of this characterheretofore in use trouble has beenexperienced by reason of the fact that the air in the high pressurechamber displayed a tendency to enter the pumping chambers as soon asthe outlet ends thereof were lifted from the water and just at the timewhen the forward ends were dipping into the water at the inlet end ofthe machine, and as the water seal which had just been formed at theforward end of the chamber was not deep enough to Withstand the highpressure, the air frequently forced its way into the low pressurechamber. In the present invention, this objection has been obviated bymaking the extension 6 of the partitions E of such a length that'beforethe outlet end of any of the pumping chambers has emerged from theliquid, a water seal of suffi cient depth has been formed at the forwardend to prevent the air in the high pressure chamber from reaching thelow pressure chamber. It is essential, however, in machines of thischaracter that to insure aconstant pressure of air in the high pressurechamber, the number of pumping chambers operating should at all timesremain constant, and it has been found that when the extensions 6 aremade of such a length to obchine. To obviate this difficulty, theextensions c of the partition E are provided with U-shaped tubes 6herein before referred to.

In the use of a plicants machine, when the forward end of one of theextensions E passes below the surface of the water, compression ofcourse commences in that particular chamber, and as, by virtue of thelength of said extensions, the forward edge of the next succeedingextension will pass below the surface of the liquid before the rear endof the first chamber has emerged from the liquid, and were it not forthe U-shaped tube air would also be compressed in the succeedingchamber, but by reason of said tube, although the edge of the partitionof the succeeding chamber passes below the surface of the water, the airwithin said chamber will escape by way of the U-shaped tube 6 into thelow pressure chamber until both ends of the tube 6 simultaneously passbeneath the surface of the water which then pops in both ends of saidtube, thus uickly and sharply sealing the pumping c iamber connectedwith the tube and preventing any of the air in said chamber frombubbling out from under its forward end, by which time, however, therear end of said chamber has sunk beneath the liquid. As each chamber isbrought into pumping operation, the rear end of one of the chamberswhich has completed its pumping operation emerges from the liquid, sothat the number of pumping chambers in operation is at all timesconstant, such number depending largely upon the constructionof theapparatus. In this construction it will be obvious that as with thepresent machine the number of pumping chambers in operation is alwaysconstant, the air in the high pressure chamber will always be maintainedat a constant pressure.

I do not desire to limit myself to the precise form and constructionshown in the drawings, as it is obvious that many minor changes may bemade thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is 1. In a deviceof the character described, a high pressure chamber adapted to contain asupply of liquid, a drum journaled within the high pressure chamber andpartially submerged in the liquid contained therein, a plurality ofpumping chambers extending longitudinally of said drum and terminatingshort of the front wall thereof, the opposite ends of said pumpingchambers being extended laterally in opposite directions, means foradmitting air to the forward end of the drum, and means establishing acommunication between the forward end of the drum and the inlet end ofeach of said pumping chambers at some distance from the extremitythereof.

2. Inadevice of the character described, a supply of liquid, a drumjournaled therein high pressure chamber adapted to contain a supply ofliquid, a drum journaled therein and partially submerged in the liquid,a plurality of pumping chambers extending longi tudinally of said drumand terminating short of the front wall thereof, the opposite ends ofsaid pumping chambers being extended laterally in opposite directions,means for ad mitting air to the forward end of the drum, and pipesconnecting the inlet end of each of the pumping chambers at somedistance from the end thereof with the forward end of the drum.

3. In a device of the character described, a high pressure chamberadapted to contain a supply of liquid, a drum journaled' therein andpartially submerged in the liquid, a plurality of pumping chambersextending longitudinally of said drum and terminating short of the frontwall thereof, the opposite ends of said pumping chambers being extendedlaterally in opposite directions and the laterally extending portion ofeach of said chambers overlapping the laterally extending portion of theadjacent chamber for an appreciable portion of its length, means foradmitting air to the forward end of the drum, and a plurality ofU-shaped tubes secured to the inlet ends of said pumping chambers, oneof the arms of each of said tubes being arranged to extend upwardly intothe pumping chambers and the other arm being arranged to lie along sideof said pumping chamber and communicate with the forward end of thedrum.

4. In a device of the character described, a high pressure chamberadapted to contain a and partially submerged in theliquid, a pluralityof pumping chambers extending longitudinally of said drum andterminatingshort of the front wall thereof, the inlet and outlet ends ofsaid pumping chambers being extended laterally in opposite directions,the inlet ends of said chambers being provided with means affording acommunication with the forward end of the drum after said ends havebecome submerged in the liquid contained therein, and the outlet ends ofsaid chambers being provided with apertures affording communication withthe high pressure chamber, and means for admitting air to the front endof the drum.

5. In a device of the character described, a casing adapted to contain asupply of liquid, a drum journaled within said casing and partiall ysubmerged in the liquid contained therein, a plurality of pumpingchambers extending longitudinally of said drum, the opposite ends ofsaid pumping chambers being extended in opposite directions, a lowpressure chamber with which the ends of the said pumping chambers arearranged to be successively brought into communication, and meansestablishing a communication between the low pressure chamber and theinlet ends of each of said pumping chambers at some distance from theextremity thereof.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

i HERMAN WALTI-IER.

WVitnesses LOUIS BLOCK, AIMEE FLExNER.

